Sunday, February 26, 2017

Tampa FL Feb 26 2017 GuardNow security got the
contract to provide guards at Hertz rental car stations at several Florida
airports including Tampa International Airport. The problem is, the I-Team
discovered they never had the proper state Class B Security License to do so.

Ahmad Ali was the operations manager for GuardNow
security at the Tampa airport Hertz office. He was in charge of hiring security
guards. He says corporate bosses told him not to worry about background checks,
just make sure they have a guards license, which does require a background
check.

Reporter- "Do you see this as a security
problem at the airport?"

Ali:
"That's a big problem. When a security company hired people, they
don't know nothing about them and put them inside the airport that's a big
problem."

To make matters worse, Guardnow cleared out their
central Florida office and dozens of employees say they were never properly
paid for the hours they worked.

Ali: "When they go to deposit it's not accepted
because there's no money in the account."

Reporter: "The checks bounced."

Ali: "Ummhmm."

Ali says GuardNow owes him $3 thousand, and they owe
paychecks to 17 other people at the Tampa location.

The problem also hit Orlando's airport. Kat Rajnauth says GuardNow owes her
hundreds, and nearly 20 others in Orlando have the same problem.

"They flew the coop and that was it!"
Rajnauth says.

Dukens Montrose says he is owed money, "I have
been working in the United States about 7 years. I never heard of anything like
this."

Back in Tampa Ahmad Ali says employees came to him
crying because they couldn't keep the lights on at home because they were never
paid.

"She said ifIi didn't pay the rent today they
will kick me out from my apartment. So I give her money," says Ali

"It was shock. The AG's's office who's supposed
to be the advocate and the protector for people like these working class
people, did nothing. The only time I heard from the AG's office Jarrod is when
your network and you got involved."

After we told Tampa airport officials about the
issue, their spokesperson, Janet Zink, tells us GuardNow was a subcontractor
through Hertz rental car company, and that the security guards had no access to
high security areas at the airport.

"Safety and security are top priority for
TIA.... So as soon as we heard about this we contacted Hertz and they let us
know they are no longer doing business with this company." says Zink

GuardNow headquarters is in Los Angeles, they do
appear to be licensed there.

We tried reaching out to their CEO Noor Kator who
goes by Mike. We were transferred to a voicemail, then no one ever called us
back.

Just recently Morgan and Morgan filed a civil
lawsuit in attempts to get employees who worked for GuardNow their paychecks.
Attorneys tell us they have at least 17 clients so far.

The state's Department of Agriculture fined GuardNow
$2 thousand for not having a proper state security license.